State College, PA - News - Local Newshttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/
Browse local news stories for State College, PA and Centre County.en-ushttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/childrens-aid-society-to-hold-adoption-foster-care-night,1463370/Children's Aid Society to Hold Adoption, Foster Care Nighthttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/childrens-aid-society-to-hold-adoption-foster-care-night,1463370/
This event will provide an overview of the services offered through Children’s Aid Society’s adoption and foster care programs, and will help anyone considering becoming a foster or adoptive parent in exploring their options.
Tue, 31 Mar 2015 15:45:00 -0400

Want to help give an orphaned child a better life, but don't know where to start?

The Children’s Aid Society will host an adoption and foster care information night on April 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the State College Municipal Building, 243 S. Allen St. in State College.

This event will provide an overview of the services offered through Children’s Aid Society’s adoption and foster care programs, and will help anyone considering becoming a foster or adoptive parent in exploring their options.

Adoption workers will be on hand to share information about domestic and international adoption processes, as well as discuss foster care and adoptions through the Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network.

Those in attendance will learn about what is involved in a home study, and find out about the characteristics of children who are in need of a family. The purpose of the session is to help prospective adoptive and foster families make an informed decision about how to proceed in the process.

Individuals or couples interested in attending this session can call 814-765-2686 to sign up or to get additional information.

Former Nittany Lion Tim Frazier is set for yet another shot at the NBA according to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.

Frazier will join the Portland Trailblazers. The team has signed him for the remainder of the season a few short weeks after Frazier was waived by the Philadelphia 76ers.

While on his short stint in the City of Brotherly Love, Frazier averaged over the course of six games, 5.7 points, 7.2 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per contest. The former Penn State guard played the vast majority of those six games, even leading the Sixers in minutes on several occasions.

Earlier this year, playing for the Maine Redclaws in the NBA's developmental league, Frazier turned heads and is in the league's MVP race. His three triple-doubles lead the league and he most recently averaged 20.3 points, 7.7 assists, 7.7 boards, 1.3 steals, while shooting 48.9 percent from the floor over the span of three games en route to his third player of the week honor.

On the season Frazier is averaging 16.1 points, 9.5 assists, and 7.1 rebounds per game.

While in Portland, Frazier will find himself on the bench behind All-Star Damian Lillard, and providing depth at the guard position after the loss of Wes Matthews, who ruptured his achilles and is out for the season.

According to Mike Richman of the Oregonian, Frazier may not see much of the floor though as the Blazers fight through the playoffs.

"I would be surprised if he plays meaningful minutes," Richman told StateCollege.com. "He's a "glass case" signing, meaning they'll only break the glass on Tim in case of emergency. He's a low risk insurance policy."

Even if Frazier never sees actual game time, getting to practice on one of the best teams in the NBA isn't a bad way to go.

Update from a Portland press conference earlier today:

Terry Stotts said Tim Frazier will play in summer league & come to fall camp with #Blazers. Signing more about future than playoff insurance

]]>http://cityportals-statecollegecom-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/news/images_preview/1463407.jpeghttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/penn-state-basketball-frazier-joins-portland-trailblazers-as-playoffs-near,1463407/
Penn State Basketball:http://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/a-penn-state-professors-guide-to-the-timeout-and-troublesome-toddlers,1463382/A Penn State Professor's Guide to the Time-Out and Troublesome Toddlershttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/a-penn-state-professors-guide-to-the-timeout-and-troublesome-toddlers,1463382/
Whether dealing with a two-year-old’s tantrum or a six-year-old’s refusal to clean up after herself, many adults have, at some point, pulled a time out from their bag of discipline tools. The problem is that not all grown-ups know when or how to use the time out to their advantage.
Tue, 31 Mar 2015 14:00:00 -0400

Whether dealing with a 2-year-old’s tantrum or a 6-year-old’s refusal to clean up after herself, many adults have, at some point, pulled a time out from their bag of discipline tools.

When used effectively, a time out can train children to behave in acceptable ways. The problem is that not all grown-ups know when or how to use the time out to their advantage.

Many follow conventional wisdom that when a child demonstrates unacceptable behavior, he or she should be separated from the activity for a number of minutes equal to his or her age.

Brian Allen, a child psychologist at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital, suggests considering the reason for the child’s misbehavior first. If the behavior is attention-seeking, a strategy known as active ignoring or selective listening may be more appropriate.

A child who is told that she can’t have ice cream may throw a tantrum in hopes of getting his or her way. If she cries long enough and loud enough, the frazzled adult may give in, she figures.

Instead, Allen suggests adults ignore the drama. Walk away or pop in headphones with soothing music to calm the nerves and create the perception that you are ignoring the child while still monitoring the situation for safety.

“If you are no longer engaged, it will eventually stop,” he says.

Eventually could mean three minutes – or even a half-hour – later. But it will happen.

Time outs are most effective when they teach children what you want them to do instead of what they are doing.

Children who refuse to go into — or remain in — time out, or who move their meltdown to wherever they have an audience, may be seeking attention and might be better served with the active ignoring technique first.

A child who refuses to respond to reasonable requests to clean up his toys may be sent to sit quietly in time out until he is ready to do what was asked. The adult can periodically check in to see if the child is ready to comply.

“If the child continues to protest, or starts a big discussion about the subject again, you can simply say, ‘OK, I’ll ask you again in a few minutes,’” Allen said. “Then the conversation is done and you don’t talk to them anymore.”

The key is that the child must complete the task or change the behavior.

“If you have asked them to clean something up, but then you put them in time out and go clean it up yourself, they don’t learn anything,” Allen said.

Time outs are most effective when used sparingly, in an environment where the child is receiving praise and having mostly positive interactions with adults. “If they are in timeout five times a day and never get good feedback or praise, they are not going to care,” Allen said. “The time out is about hating that they don’t have that positive attention.”

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Read Morehttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/police-seek-help-indentifying-atm-fraud-suspects,1463408/Police Seek Help Indentifying ATM Fraud Suspectshttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/police-seek-help-indentifying-atm-fraud-suspects,1463408/
State College police are looking for two people suspected of using cloned ATM cards to steal cash from people across the state. Police have surveillance photos of two suspects in the investigation: a man and a woman of unknown age and "medium complexions."
Tue, 31 Mar 2015 13:35:00 -0400

State College police are looking for two people suspected of using cloned ATM cards to steal cash from people across the state.

To clone a credit card, thieves copy information from a legitimate card's magnetic strip and make up a duplicate.

Police have surveillance photos of two suspects in the investigation: a man and a woman of unknown age and described as having "medium complexions."

Several ATM's in the State College area have been hit, including Santander Bank on College Avenue, First National Bank branches at Heister and Allen Streets and the PNC Bank on Atherton Street, according to a police news release. The Ferguson Township and State College police departments are working together on the investigation.

Police say that none of the compromised accounts belong to State College residents, with some of the victims hailing from Dauphin and Cumberland Counties.

Police ask anyone with information to contact Detective R. W. Ralston at 814-278-4742 or Detective Devon Moran at 814-238-4651, or to submit an anonymous tip through the State College police department website.

]]>http://cityportals-statecollegecom-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/news/images_preview/1463408.jpeghttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/police-seek-help-indentifying-atm-fraud-suspects,1463408/
Read Morehttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/commissioners-legal-battles-paid-for-by-county-insurance-program,1463406/Commissioners' Legal Battles Paid For By County Insurance Programhttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/commissioners-legal-battles-paid-for-by-county-insurance-program,1463406/
“The last action we took was to direct the staff to look into the possibility of hiring additional legal counsel,” Pipe said. “When we were informed that we would be represented by our insurance’s attorney, those directions did not need to be followed out.”
Tue, 31 Mar 2015 12:49:00 -0400

The Centre County Board of Commissioners is trying to avoid forcing taxpayers to foot the bill for the various legal battles the county is fighting.

At the commissioners’ meeting on Tuesday, Commissioner Michael Pipe said that the county’s insurance program is currently handling the three separate lawsuits being brought against the county by two judges and Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller.

Pipe said that Mary Lou Maierhofer of the Holidaysburg-based Margolis Edelstein law firm is representing the county in these suits as part of the Pennsylvania Counties Risk Pool insurance program, which is provided by the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania.

“The last action we took was to direct the staff to look into the possibility of hiring additional legal counsel,” Pipe said. “When we were informed that we would be represented by our insurance’s attorney, those directions did not need to be followed out.”

Commissioner Chris Exarchos said that the county has spent about $24,000 on legal fees since hiring the law firm of Abom and Kutulakis on Jan. 27 and the law firm of Fetterhoff and Zilli on Feb. 3.

Attorney William Fetterhoff was contracted to provide legal advice to Centre County Solictior Louis Glantz at $200 an hour. Attorney John Abom represented the commissioners in a dispute with Parks Miller in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court at $170 an hour.

Centre County Administrator Tim Boyde told StateCollege.com in February that the county had spent $24,250 on legal fees for both firms. Exarchos says this figure has remained unchanged, thanks in part to the legal services being provided by the county's insurance program.

The lawsuits currently facing the county stem from allegations that the county illegally provided personal cell phone records of judges and prosecutors to defense attorneys in response to Right to Know requests filed with the county. A hearing in the case is scheduled for Thursday morning.

Exarchos said that any taxpayer money being spent on legal fees are “resources that could be better used elsewhere,” but added the commissioners would consider hiring additional legal counsel if necessary.

“When faced with challenges like this we have to respond,” Exarchos said. “Our responsibility is to protect the interests of the residents of our county.”

The commissioners also approved a three-year contract with the DuBois-based Service Access & Management, Inc. company to manage the finances of the county’s mental health, intellectual disabilities and early intervention office.

Pipe opposed the proposal, expressing discomfort with “privatizing” part of the county’s services. Commissioners Steve Dershem and Exarchos pointed out that past attempts to hire new employees have gone poorly due to the complicated nature of the MH/ID/EI office’s finances and state regulatory requirements, and added that SAM has a proved track record with the county.

The contract passed 2-1, and will last until the end of the 2018 fiscal year. The total contract cost is $523,634, with the state covering $499,128 of that amount.

]]>http://cityportals-statecollegecom-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/news/images_preview/1463406.jpghttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/commissioners-legal-battles-paid-for-by-county-insurance-program,1463406/
Read Morehttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/penn-state-hockey-notre-dame-in-hockey-valley-frozen-four-comparisons-shows-a-work-in-progress,1463405/Penn State Hockey: Notre Dame In Hockey Valley? Frozen Four Comparisons Shows A Work In Progresshttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/penn-state-hockey-notre-dame-in-hockey-valley-frozen-four-comparisons-shows-a-work-in-progress,1463405/
Taking a look at how Penn State's resume stacks up against the teams in the Frozen FourTue, 31 Mar 2015 12:15:00 -0400

Penn State men's hockey coach Guy Gadowsky would be the first to tell you that his program isn't in the national title hunt just yet.

And that's fine.

Anyone who has watched the team knows that there is a lot of work left to be done.

That's not to say the progress Penn State has made so far as a program isn't headed in that general direction, but if being elite was easy, everyone could do it.

Even so, after an 18-15-4 season and a legitimate chance to win the conference in the regular season, it's worth a brief look at how the teams in the Frozen Four stack up against the Nittany Lions.

For reference: Penn State has the nation's 47th best strength of schedule and finished the season 33rd in the PairWise, which is best described as college hockey's BCS. The top 16 teams make the NCAA tournament assuming that lower ranked teams don't win conference tournaments and steal bids to the dance. Penn State floated around that mark midway through the season, but a few losses late in final third of the season dragged Penn State's ranking down.

North Dakota: A traditional powerhouse, North Dakota faces off against Boston University in what ought to be a great game. Ranked second in the PairWise and with the nation's eighth best strength of schedule, North Dakota has seen it all. With a 27-9-3 record, there is a lot more winning going on than losing. In fact that record comes with the fourth best winning percentage in college hockey.

Boston University: The Terriers aren't far behind, ranked third in the PariWise and with the nation's 14th best strength of schedule. A 25-7-5 record is nothing to scoff at either. It's the second best win mark in the Frozen Four. Like North Dakota, BU has seen many of the best teams in the nation and has hung with them all.

Nebraska-Omaha: Eighth in the PairWise and the fifth best strength of schedule, Nebraska-Omaha actually has the most Penn State-like season with an 18-12-6 record with plenty of ups and downs. The real saving grace for this team team was the strong strength of schedule -- the best of the teams in the Frozen Four. You don't have to win every game to be good, but if you're going to lose, it may as well be against good teams. That formula worked well despite a record that saw a whole boatload of ties and the second most losses of the bunch.

Providence: The last team of the group, Providence is 14th in the PairWise and 20th in strength of schedule. That's 27 spots better than Penn State in SOS and 19 spots higher in the rankings. The Friars are still, if nothing else, an example that your schedule doesn't have to be impossible to have a title shot. A 21-13-2 record shows that winning is key if your schedule isn't the toughest.

So what does it mean for Penn State?

Admittedly a lot of factors out of the Nittany Lions' control were in play as far as Penn State's rankings at the end of the season. The Big Ten struggled out of conference and in turn had somewhat of a down year across the board. Only one team in the Big Ten cracked the Top 16 in the PairWise while four teams were ranked lower than No. 30 in the nation. As a result, the vast majority of Penn State's wins came against conference teams that were struggling to stay relevant in the nation conversation.

The good news, Penn State never lost to a team in the non conference ranked lower than 36, with three losses coming to the 24th, 25th and 26th ranked teams. Conversely, the Nittany Lions beat nearly all of the teams they should have out of conference and even won against No. 17 on the road and No. 20.

So from here the path is fairly simple. Penn State's schedule doesn't have to be impossible (Year 1 in Pegula had a Top 5 strength of schedule) but the Nittany Lions will need to turn those middle of the pack losses into middle of the pack wins. Penn State will also need the Big Ten to find its stride again, so wins mean more and the losses don't hurt so much.

Ultimately getting to the Frozen Four takes more than a good schedule. Penn State has a way to go to be in that conversation, but right now the journey is headed in the right direction and people are interested in seeing it. With five days to go until the April 10 season ticket renewal deadline Penn State is over 50 percent renewal, expecting 90 percent by the time the deadline comes.

And a hot ticket everyone will want? A not-yet-official home series against Notre Dame. The contracts and papers have to be sign sealed and approved, but once that happens it's hard to imagine that those tickets won't go faster than a stretch of fresh ice.

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Penn State Hockeyhttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/waiting-for-springs-return-with-winter-weather-hanging-on,1463404/Waiting for Spring's Return With Winter Weather Hanging Onhttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/waiting-for-springs-return-with-winter-weather-hanging-on,1463404/
The National Weather Service has posted a Winter Weather Advisory, with temperatures in the 30s and the forecast calling for more snow. "I don't think we need to rush to the grocery store and stock up on bread and milk," says AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tom Kines.Tue, 31 Mar 2015 10:40:00 -0400

You know the old saying about March weather: in like a lion, out like a lamb.

Just not this year.

Thirty-one days ago, on March 1, the temperature in State College was hovering around the freezing mark with three inches of fresh snow on the ground.

So you can be forgiven for expecting mild weather at the end of the month.

Instead, on March 31, the National Weather Service has posted a Winter Weather Advisory, with temperatures in the 30s and the forecast calling for more snow.

Fortunately, this is expected to be a nuisance storm for the State College area.

"I don't think we need to rush to the grocery store and stock up on bread and milk," says AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tom Kines. "I think most of the problems with the snow are probably going to be north of Interstate 80. ... I don't think accumulation-wise there's going to be anything to worry about. ... the worst case scenario, maybe an inch or two."

Kines says the snow might accumulate on the grass but will melt when it hits the roads. On top of that, the threat of snow will diminish as we head through Monday afternoon.

Interestingly enough, Northern Pennsylvania is much colder with temperatures in the low 30s. Three or four inches of snow could fall in some northern areas. The southern part of the state is significantly warmer with temperatures flirting with 60 degrees.

We're right in the middle with with temperatures expected to top out around 40 degrees. Wednesday's high will be in the 40s and on Thursday and Friday "there is a legitimate shot at being in the 60s."

But it won't last.

The weekend will be much colder. Saturday and Sunday will likely see highs in the 40s and there could be snow flurries around. The normal high for this time of year is in the low 50s.

But there is still reason to hope that spring will get here -- eventually. "I do think as we head into next week and probably the week after, we're going to see more of these days with temperatures getting into the 60s," says Kines. "The pattern is trying to change and it will change. It's just going to be a slow process."

"Hang in there. You gotta take baby steps in the spring. Eventually we're going to get there."

]]>http://cityportals-statecollegecom-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/news/images_preview/1463404.jpghttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/waiting-for-springs-return-with-winter-weather-hanging-on,1463404/
Read Morehttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/barron-builds-the-penn-state-budget-piece-by-piece-for-students,1463403/Barron Builds the Penn State Budget Piece by Piece for Studentshttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/barron-builds-the-penn-state-budget-piece-by-piece-for-students,1463403/
“The [state appropriated] dollars we have to work with are in the bottom half of the Big Ten… On the other hand, the ranking of Penn State among public institutions in the Big Ten puts us at number two or four, depending on the year,” Barron said.Tue, 31 Mar 2015 09:20:00 -0400

Penn State President Eric Barron knows that many students might not fully understand the university’s budget or how it impacts tuition.

So Barron built the budget piece by piece in front of his students on Monday evening in an open forum setting, where he fielded questions and concerns from all of Penn State’s campuses.

He said Penn State’s total income is a little over $4.6 billion dollars, with over 34 percent of that income coming from student tuition and fees. Income from the university’s health systems make up another 32 percent, while private grants and donations are about 11 percent, with miscellaneous sources rounding out the rest.

Tuition from University Park students brings in about $889 million, while commonwealth campuses bring in about $417 million. Other university endeavors like Penn College and the Ag Extension research programs are largely self-sustaining, and don't contribute very much to the bottoms line.

Tuition dollars primarily go toward serving the students, Barron said. About 42 percent of tuition dollars go to faculty salaries and instructional support; over 20 percent goes to academic support functions like libraries and IT services; about 15 percent goes to administration, police, fundraising and other institutional supports; and 10 percent goes to grounds and building maintenance. Research costs, student service offices like admissions and the registrar and public services like WPSU take up the rest.

“Fundamentally, the budget that counts the most for you,” Barron said to the students, “is $1.9 billion, which is tuition and fees plus our state appropriation.”

The problem is that state appropriations have been on a steady and dramatic downward trend since the early 80’s, while Penn State faces costs that are constantly on the rise due to inflation and other factors.

To meet these challenges, Barron either has to bring in more money or reduce costs. Bringing in more money requires raising tuition, so his first step is to look for places in the budget where services can be cut, reduced or made more efficient. For next year’s budget, Barron says the university has found $34.3 million in cuts – but that’s not as much as it might sound like.

Even with the cuts built into next year’s budget, Barron still has to propose a small tuition increase of 2.73 percent, which translates into roughly $32.8 million dollars. But if all goes well in state legislature, funds might not be so tight for Penn State next year.

“For the first time in a long time, we’ve seen a significant increase to Penn State’s appropriation proposed by the governor,” Barron said, referring to Governor Tom Wolf’s proposed $49.6 million increase to Penn State funding.

If this proposal, which represents a total state appropriation of $263.7 million, passes the legislature, then Barron has promised to freeze tuition for in-state students across all campuses. Barron said the governor's proposal is an exciting reversal of a trend that’s lasted for too many years.

“The [state appropriated] dollars we have to work with are in the bottom half of the Big Ten. … On the other hand, the ranking of Penn State among public institutions in the Big Ten puts us at number two or four, depending on the year,” Barron said. “… We’re not wasting our money on things that don't deliver quality, and the quality of this institution is something that's going to affect you for the rest of your life.”

]]>http://cityportals-statecollegecom-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/news/images_preview/1463403.jpghttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/barron-builds-the-penn-state-budget-piece-by-piece-for-students,1463403/
Read Morehttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/penn-state-professor-seeks-to-revolutionize-treatment-for-alzheimers-and-brain-damage,1463401/Penn State Professor Seeks to 'Revolutionize' Treatment for Alzheimer's and Brain Damagehttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/penn-state-professor-seeks-to-revolutionize-treatment-for-alzheimers-and-brain-damage,1463401/
Penn State men’s basketball coach Patrick Chambers is incredibly blunt when he talks about watching his late father struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. “It was like a slow death in front of our eyes,” Chambers says. “He wasn’t the same guy, the same mentor, the same hero I remembered ...Tue, 31 Mar 2015 06:15:00 -0400

Penn State men’s basketball coach Patrick Chambers is incredibly blunt when he talks about watching his late father struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.

“It was like a slow death in front of our eyes,” Chambers says. “He wasn’t the same guy, the same mentor, the same hero I remembered him to be.”

But because of that experience, Chambers is also incredibly passionate about a Penn State research project that could revolutionize the way doctors treat Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases.

That’s where Penn State professor and researcher Gong Chen comes in. He’s working to develop a new way to treat everything from stroke-induced brain damage to Lou Gehrig’s disease (also known as ALS, the subject of last year’s viral ice bucket challenge). His work doesn't just mitigate the effects of existing brain damage; it actually helps the brain regrow damaged or destroyed tissue.

Chen’s research – already published and warmly received in respected scientific journals – focuses on the use of something called “glial cells,” which occur naturally in the brain. When one suffers brain damage or degeneration, the glial cells fill the empty space, essentially creating a scar inside of the brain.

“This prevents any damage from spreading further, but eventually glial cells can inhibit neurons from growing back, and that will prevent brain function from recovering,” Chen says.

But when Chen injects a special protein called “neuroD1” into glial cells in a mouse’s brain, something exciting happens. The protein interacts with the glial cells in such a way that they begin to transform, and the brain’s neurons actually regenerate and grow back – bringing brain function back with them.

Chen says this is somewhat similar to the use of stem cells to regrow damaged brain tissue, but is a much more promising technique. The human body actually tends to reject most new stem cells because the body views them as alien cells. Because Chen’s technique uses cells already present in the brain, he thinks it will have a much higher success rate than similar procedures using stem cells.

Chen estimates the technology is about a decade or two away from hitting the market, but even at this relatively early stage he has big hopes (and a patent) for a practical application of this new technique.

“Now you can imagine a drug that millions of people worldwide can take every morning to help their brain regenerate neurons so they can remember and learn and live a normal, high-quality life,” Chen says.

The challenge is one of funding. Chen’s research team goes through about a million dollars per year, which includes grants from the National Institutes of Health. But grant funding is limited and competitive, so Chen’s team is hosting an online fundraising campaign to reach a “relatively modest” goal of $50,000 by the end of April – and they’ve already netted about $11,000 in a single day.

For Chambers, Chen’s research hits closer to home than he might like. Having seen his father pass away from Alzheimer’s, the father of three (soon to be four) knows that the same disease is “in my genes, it’s in my blood.”

“We need to raise awareness, and we need the finances to help with this research and find a cure,” Chambers says. “We all want to live happy, healthy, prosperous lives, and we want our children to live happy, healthy, prosperous lives. It’s important for us to see this through and try to end this once and for all.”

]]>http://cityportals-statecollegecom-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/news/images_preview/1463401.jpghttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/penn-state-professor-seeks-to-revolutionize-treatment-for-alzheimers-and-brain-damage,1463401/
Read Morehttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/penn-state-football-hackenberg-the-lead-but-depth-an-issue-at-quarterback,1463400/Penn State Football: Hackenberg The Lead, But Depth An Issue At Quarterbackhttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/penn-state-football-hackenberg-the-lead-but-depth-an-issue-at-quarterback,1463400/
Christian Hackenberg is the man on campus, but the next man up is a little less obvious when you look at Penn State's quarterback position Tue, 31 Mar 2015 06:00:00 -0400

Penn State is in a good place and a bad place with quarterbacks heading into spring practice.

On the one hand Christian Hackenberg returns for a third year behind a supposedly improved offensive line.

Other than that though the question remains: Who is the next starting quarterback at Penn State?

If Hackenberg returns for a senior season that question won't need to be answered. But unless Penn State is starting a true freshman next year, the next man up is either transferring in, or is already on this roster.

Who's Gone:

DJ Crook, Michael O'Connor

Despite most Penn State fan's hopes that O'Connor would stick around to see a post-Hackenberg world, neither O'Connor nor Crook's departure came as much of a shock this offseason. While the expectation is for everyone to see their careers start and end at the same place, with Hackenberg returning and fresh blood on campus this year and next, O'Connor and Crook could read the writing on the wall. That's not to say either of them, especially O'Connor, couldn't have panned out as the quarterback of the future, but it wasn't going to be an easy route for either of them.

Who's Here:

Tommy Stevens Trace McSorley, Christian Hackenberg and Billy Fessler.

From the standpoint of "what name should I know?" Hackenberg is the obviously the big gun here. But with injuries and just the general future of the quarterback position a real relevant talking point, Trace McSorely and Tommy Stevens are notable members of the unit alongside Billy Fessler.

It's hard to guess which quarterback will take over the job when Hackenberg leaves. However, James Franklin's early praise for Stevens and the head coach's confidence in McSorely seems to make it a two man race right now. That is of course assuming that some of the incoming talent down the road, such as Jake Zembiec, doesn't have a say in that competition. Chances are McSorely is the official backup to Hackenberg in the early going this season thanks to experience alone. Stevens is reportedly a diamond in the rough, but those can take a bit of time to shine.

Biggest Strength:

This is somewhat obvious with a first round draft choice at the position, but everything about Hackenberg makes him the pound-for-pound biggest strength on the team. It doesn't need much more explaining than that. Penn State has a future NFL player at the most important position on the team.

Biggest Weakness:

Penn State isn't really all that deep at quarterback with only three guys behind Hackenberg. That depth is even more questionable when you figure Stevens could very well redshirt. And to be perfectly honest Fessler is not likely to be the next Matt McGloin. So that really makes it a two man show. While McSorley isn't Hackenberg, he probably can do things better than people give him credit for. The hope for fans though, is that we'll never have to find out this year (or next) if McSorely can get the job done.

But at the end of the day, a lack of depth behind a quarterback who was sacked over 40 times last season isn't good news. Even if that depth never actually matters during the season.

Overall:

This position is just a one man show, and that's how Penn State wants it to stay this year. Hackenberg is as good as they come. It's just a matter of getting him the time and the weapons to show it. Depth is a problem if he gets hurt, but you could say that about most teams when their starting quarterback is injured. Penn State goes as Hackenberg goes. Even if that isn't always fair, he's the guy to make up for Penn State's other issues. Just as long as he has the time to do it.

]]>http://cityportals-statecollegecom-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/news/images_preview/1463400.pnghttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/penn-state-football-hackenberg-the-lead-but-depth-an-issue-at-quarterback,1463400/
Penn State Footballhttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/reports-of-bears-in-residential-areas-increase-as-hibernation-season-ends,1463399/Reports of Bears in Residential Areas Increase as Hibernation Season Endshttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/reports-of-bears-in-residential-areas-increase-as-hibernation-season-ends,1463399/
There are over 18,000 bears statewide, and when they wake up after a long winter slumber, they're hungry. "There’s not a whole lot of food in the forest right now and they’re looking for anything they can get their hands on," McDowell says.Tue, 31 Mar 2015 06:00:00 -0400

After a long winter slumber, bears in the State College area are awake, hungry, and searching for food in residential neighborhoods around State College.

As the weather warms up and hibernation comes to an end, bears are more active around homes in early spring than any other time of the year.

Robyn Graboski, the founder of Centre Wildlife Care, says her organization has received numerous calls about destroyed bird feeders already this spring.

Ferguson Township reports nearly a dozen calls about mangled bird feeders so far this spring. The State College Police Department has only received one call over the last month. There have been no bear sightings or encounters in our area.

There are more Black bears in North Central Pennsylvania than anywhere else in the state, says Doty McDowell, the information and education supervisor for the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

McDowell says that there are over 18,000 bears statewide, and when they wake up after a long winter slumber, they're hungry.

"They've been holed up all winter long living off of their fat reserves from last fall," he says. "There's not a whole lot of food in the forest right now and they're looking for anything they can get their hands on."

That often leads bears to homes that have bird feeders outside. Garbage bags and pet food can also attract bears to homes as they scavenge for a food source.

Graboski says bird feeders are a target for bears this time of year. If you want to avoid finding a damaged feeder, Graboski suggests keeping it inside for two to four weeks.

"Anywhere where there are bears, you need to take the bird feeders down for a few weeks until the bears move on," she says. "A lot of people in the community aren't necessarily accustomed to taking their bird feeders down, but this is nothing unusual. It happens every year and they'll eventually move on and find other food sources."

Black bears are often shy and harmless if you respect them, but don't be fooled by their appearance. The Game Commission says that they are an agile animal in spite of their size. Black bears can weigh 600 pounds and upwards and run up to 35 miles per hour, climb trees, and swim.

They are most active at night, when they do the majority of their foraging, so leaving bird feeders out during the day shouldn't be an issue. In the rare case that someone encounters a bear during the day, McDowell and Graboski both recommend avoiding any contact with the animal.

"It would be extremely rare but just don't approach it," Graboski says. "Bears are pretty shy and they'll probably run away if they see you."

McDowell adds that you can contact the game commission, which will typically send a local conservation officer to assist with your bear problem. In most cases, some simple education on how to avoid attracting bears will solve the issue, but the commission will trap and relocate bears if they become a consistent nuisance.

McDowell stresses that bears won't go away as long as they have a continuous source of food, risking property damage and endangering both the homeowner and the entire neighborhood.

You can find more information on black bears in Pennsylvania and how to deal with them here.

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Read Morehttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/paterno-estate-ncaa-both-come-out-on-top-in-judges-ruling,1463402/Paterno Estate, NCAA Both Come Out On Top In Judge's Rulinghttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/paterno-estate-ncaa-both-come-out-on-top-in-judges-ruling,1463402/
"Plaintiffs are arguing that... the NCAA is selectively releasing documents in an attempt to sway public opinion," Leete's ruling reads. "While the court has no reason to doubt this, it is insufficient to justify changing the protective order."
Mon, 30 Mar 2015 17:52:00 -0400

You win some, you lose some.

Potter County Senior Judge John Leete issued a ruling Monday that represents a victory and a defeat for both sides of the ongoing Paterno-NCAA lawsuit.

The ruling comes in response to a hearing held in February, when attorneys for the NCAA and the estate of former Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno went toe-to-toe over several hotly disputed issues.

The NCAA claimed that the Paterno estate has no legal standing to sue the athletic organization for a 'breach of contract" in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. The NCAA also argued that the plaintiffs in the lawsuit -- which includes former assistant coaches Jay Paterno and William Kenney and former university trustee Al Clemens -- were wrong to ask the court for permission to release court documents to the public.

And on both those points, the court agreed.

The breach of contract allegation was based around alleged violations of the NCAA's bylaws - if the NCAA was conducting an investigation into the Sandusky scandal (which the plaintiffs argued was clearly happening), then the NCAA violated Joe Paterno's contract by not giving him an opportunity to respond to allegedly defamatory statements made by the NCAA. But Judge Leete said this argument was an attempt to "resurrect a claim on which this court already dismissed," and sustained the NCAA's objections to this claim.

The Paterno estate also wanted to release documents obtained from the NCAA to the public. They pointed out that similar releases had been made in the recently-settled lawsuit between State Senator Jake Corman and the NCAA, and that the NCAA had released documents of its own from that same case.

"Plaintiffs are arguing that... the NCAA is selectively releasing documents in an attempt to sway public opinion," Leete's ruling reads. "While the court has no reason to doubt this, it is insufficient to justify changing the protective order."

But the Paterno estate had a victory of its own.

In December, the plaintiffs announced their intention to subpoena five university presidents from across the country who served on the NCAA's executive committee in the wake of the Sandusky scandal. The NCAA strongly opposed the request, arguing that the Paterno estate was jumping the gun by ordering subpoenas when it could focus on obtaining information in other ways.

"[The NCAA] stated that they believed Plaintiffs should depose others before the subjects of the subpoenas... however, they offered no authority to support such a claim," Leete writes. "...Therefore, Plaintiffs will be permitted to conduct depositions as they see fit."

The Paterno Estate, Clemens, Paterno and Kenney sued the NCAA in Centre County Court last year for alleged conspiracy and defamation. The plaintiffs argue that the NCAA overstepped its bounds in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal, ultimately decreasing the value of the Paterno Estate and making it more difficult for Jay Paterno and Kenney to find work.

]]>http://cityportals-statecollegecom-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/news/images_preview/1463402.jpghttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/paterno-estate-ncaa-both-come-out-on-top-in-judges-ruling,1463402/
Read Morehttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/ken-burns-documentary-featuring-emily-whitehead-airs-this-week,1463398/Ken Burns Documentary Featuring Emily Whitehead Airs This Weekhttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/ken-burns-documentary-featuring-emily-whitehead-airs-this-week,1463398/
Whitehead’s story will be featured in the ‘future’ portion of the series on cancer. She was the first to receive the experimental T-Cell therapy which is regarded as a potentially widespread way for cancer to be treated in the future.Mon, 30 Mar 2015 15:45:00 -0400

Four Diamonds child Emily Whitehead was the first in the world to receive a CART-19 T-Cell Transplant when she was 5-years-old.

The Emily Whitehead Foundation was started in January, which raises funds for pediatric cancer research in an effort to see more success stories like Emily’s.

It was reported in 2014 that Emily would be filmed for a Ken Burns documentary series.

Now, that documentary will begin airing Monday at 9 p.m. on WPSU or your local PBS station. The documentary is based on and named after the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee.

It will revisit the history of cancer treatment before returning to the present and even discussing what the future holds. To do this, the documentary will be broken into three two-hour episodes.

Emily’s story will be featured in the ‘future’ portion of the series, as the experimental T-Cell therapy is regarded as a potentially widespread way for cancer to be treated in the future. Her story will be featured in the second installment in an episode titled “Finding the Achilles Heel.”

The documentary crew spent three days with the Whiteheads last year and even accompanied the family to THON, although that footage did not make the final cut. You can watch the trailer here.

Part two, including Emily's experiences, will air Wednesday and the final episode will be broadcast on Friday.

]]>http://cityportals-statecollegecom-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/news/images_preview/1463398.jpghttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/ken-burns-documentary-featuring-emily-whitehead-airs-this-week,1463398/
Read Morehttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/penn-state-football-nittany-lions-replaying-mistakes-in-practice-to-open-up-shot-at-redemption,1463393/Penn State Football: Nittany Lions Replaying Mistakes In Practice To Open Up Shot At Redemptionhttp://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/penn-state-football-nittany-lions-replaying-mistakes-in-practice-to-open-up-shot-at-redemption,1463393/
"We took the 'Illinois situation', exact yard-line, situation, timeouts, and went through it again," James Franklin said after practice this weekend. "We've gone back and took all these situations from the games last year and we're going to play them out and we're going to learn from some ofMon, 30 Mar 2015 14:00:00 -0400

It's one thing to practice a two-minute drill.

It's another to practice redemption.

And that's what Penn State is trying to do this spring during practice. Instead of strictly marching down the field in under two minutes, the Nittany Lions are replaying the bad moments from last season. Nearly all of which came in the final minutes of the game.

So that's where the "four-minute offense" comes in. The recreation of late-game situations that Penn State did not execute well, and as a result lost the game. Instead of fighting against the clock, Penn State is fighting against bad memories.

Ultimately the key to any late game situation is the same with or without the lead. Control the clock, move the ball and manage your timeouts.

That didn't happen against Illinois in a 16-14 loss despite leading 14-13 with 3:29 to go. Or in a 20-19 defeat to Maryland even though the Nittany Lions had the ball with 3:22 to go and a 19-17 lead. Sure wins turned last second losses. In a sanctioned Penn State universe that might not be a season-ending mistake, but down the road, two losses are the difference between a lot of good and a lot of disappointment.

"We took the 'Illinois situation', exact yard-line, situation, timeouts, and went through it again," James Franklin said after practice this weekend. "We've gone back and took all these situations from the games last year and we're going to play them out and we're going to learn from some of the mistakes we did last year. And the offense was able to line up in the four-minute offense and play pretty good and be able to win both of those situations in terms of eating up the clock. That's because your O-line and tight ends are blocking better as well as the running backs running hard.''

The whole point, getting the most out of every practice. You can understand a situation better when you're prepared for it. You can handle it differently when you've experienced it and have gone through the motions time and time again. Kentucky basketball has ridden that mentality through close games all season despite an undefeated record. "Been there, done that" isn't something to be overlooked.

"So if I get up there and I say, 'Four-minute situation, three minutes and 10 seconds left, two timeouts', and I'm just coming up with something.

"But if I can tell them, 'This is the situation. This is exactly where we were at last year against Illinois. Offense, you want to end the game on your terms, controlling your own fate, controlling your own destiny. Defense, we're trying to get off the field and get the ball back to our offense. I think whenever you can point to a specific example, it carries more weight, especially when it was a situation (that) we weren't successful in.''

It doesn't guarantee success, but don't be surprised to see Penn State have a close game go its way if the situation comes up yet again.

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Penn State Football:http://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/state-college-penn-state-noon-news-and-features-monday-march-30,1463394/State College, Penn State Noon News And Features: Monday, March 30http://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/state-college-penn-state-noon-news-and-features-monday-march-30,1463394/
Penn State, State College and Centre County are making news all over the web. Every weekday at noon we post links to some of the most noteworthy stories.Mon, 30 Mar 2015 12:07:00 -0400

Penn State, State College and Centre County are making news all over the web. Every weekday at noon we post links to some of the most noteworthy stories.

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